Aurora's Palace
*Briar Rose *King Stefan *Prince Phillip *Mulan |visitors = Emma Swan *Evil Queen *Maleficent *Mary Margaret Blanchard *Neal Cassidy † *The Wraith |owner = King Stefan |firstappearance = Broken |latestappearance = Leaving Storybrooke}} Aurora's Palace is an Enchanted Forest location featured on ABC's Once Upon a Time. It first appears in the first episode of the second season. Aurora's Palace is based on the king's castle from the fairytale "Sleeping Beauty", and on King Stefan's castle from the Disney film Sleeping Beauty. History The Evil Queen, Regina, casts the dark curse to bring the inhabitants of the Enchanted Forest into another land where their happy endings do not exist. Cora, Regina's mother, protects herself and an ally, Hook from being affected by the curse as it is sweeping throughout the land by putting up a protective spell over a small area. The spell also ends up keeping some of the land inhabitants from being touched by the curse including the sleeping Aurora in her palace. }} Following a mishap that causes Neal to fall through a portal with a gunshot wound, he lands in the Enchanted Forest and is found by Mulan, Aurora and Prince Phillip. They take him back to the palace and tend to his injuries as Mulan keeps a close watch on the stranger. Upon awakening, she asks who he is, to which the man responds with his name, Neal. Her companions, Aurora and Prince Phillip, rush over to inspect the stranger. Hastily, Aurora helps to bring water to him while Neal wonders where this is. She says him he is in their kingdom, and further questioning prompts Prince Phillip to tell Neal they are in the Enchanted Forest. Shocked, Neal murmurs he is back, which causes Aurora to think he's a native of this land, but Mulan points out his clothes are foreign and similar to Emma and Mary Margaret's. At the mention of Emma's name, Neal realizes they are acquainted with her as well, and tries to explain he needs to save Emma from harm. In attempting to move from the bier, Neal struggles to sit up as his wound is not yet completely healed, but despite that, he is set on finding out if Emma and Henry are alright. Aurora queries if Neal is Henry's father, and goes on to fill him in on how she once met Henry in the Netherworld. She mentions having harnessed the power to walk the dreamworld and find others like her, and it's possible to find Henry. Neal asks if she can find Emma to let her know he is alive. Assuming a laying spot on the bier, Aurora attempts to find with Emma or Henry in the dreamworld. While Prince Phillip watches over her, Mulan and Neal wait at the sidelines and converse. Mulan learns Neal assumed death was imminent after falling into the portal, and from focusing his thoughts of the Enchanted Forest, that's how he ended up here. Curious about the other world, Storybrooke, she asks what it's like there. Neal starts off by saying people of that land believe the Enchanted Forest inhabitants to be fictional, and exemplifies it with the Mulan animated movie. Confused, she inquires what a movie is, but the exchange is interrupted by Aurora's awakening. Crestfallen, Aurora notifies Neal she was unable to make contact. However, Neal recalls his father always had plans, and could have left something behind if he ever came back to the Enchanted Forest. He has hopes of finding such an item and using it to get to Emma and Henry by travelling to his father's castle. Prince Phillip raises the question of who his father is, and Neal admits it's Rumplestiltskin. While Aurora and Prince Phillip stay behind, Mulan and Neal head off towards the castle. After Neal has gone to Neverland because he is worried about Emma and Henry, Mulan returns to the palace and approaches Aurora as she is tending the flowers in the area. When Aurora notices her, she runs up and gives Mulan a warm welcome back embrace. Then, Mulan asks if Phillip is around, though Aurora says he isn't. She has news to share with Aurora, who coincidentally also does as well. Excitedly, Aurora announces she and Phillip are expecting their first child, which Mulan reacts to with shock and quickly congratulates her. Recovering from her stupor, Mulan hastily states she is joining Robin Hood's Merry Men. Aurora, stunned by the decision, watches her friend depart. As Mulan walks off, a tear trickles down her face. }} Trivia |-|Production Notes= Production Notes *Concept art for an interior scene in Aurora's palace was created for "New York City Serenade", but this idea did not make it onto the screen.File:312ConceptArt7.jpg |-|Set Notes= Props Notes *The dais which Aurora is lying on while under the sleeping curse,File:201WhatHappened.png the same platform which Neal rests on after he is rescued,File:301IsHeWell.png was later redressed and reused as the dais that Dorothy lies on while under a sleeping curse in "Ruby Slippers".File:518AppearingInOz.png Set Dressing *Among the numerous fairytale illustrations pinned to the wall in Henry's room are an engraving by the nineteenth century French artist Gustave Doré.File:122SomethingsComing.png It is from Les Contes de Perrault (an 1862 edition of the seventeenth century French author Charles Perrault's fairytales) and depicts the prince walking into Sleeping Beauty's palace. Appearances "Archive" denotes archive footage. References it:Palazzo di Aurora de:Auroras Palast es:Palacio de Aurora fr:Palais d'Aurore ru:Дворец Авроры Category:Once Upon a Time Locations Category:Castles